Frank Gore 2014 Season Outlook

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Had a good year last year and outperformed his spot. Stayed healthy and didn't seem slower or any worse for wear.

This year add another year. 31 years old.

Harbough seems to limit his touches so he doesn't get 20 a game and sometimes the touches seem low, on the other hand it likely keeps him healthy. Backups seem to slowly want more of his pie.

Oline is still great, while not the unquestioned goal-line play call he gets a good ammount of carries.

Division is brutal brutal brutal.

I didn't completely avoid him last year, but I under drafted him for age/mileage reasons. While I would hate to make the same mistake twice for the same reason, I really don't want a old worn out back.

thoughts?

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Hes alwAys been a workhorse type of guy and i expect that to continue bc i dont anticipate him wearing down in the next 2 years much less next year. Great o line and goal line opportunities along with the majority of the carries. If hes there for my rb2 at a reasonable round ill bite

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Of all the running backs realistically there in the 4th round I would probably value him the highest just because, as someone has said, the goal line opportunities. It's always either him or Vernon Davis inside the 10 yard line, always.

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A 31 year old plodder who no longer figures in the passing game. Games where he doesnt score he kills you. Pass.

I agree that Gore has his concerns but I wouldn't say that his value is entirely TD-reliant. In the nine games last season in which he failed to score a TD, he posted double-digit standard points in four of them. He averaged over 7 standard points in those games (an average which includes a putrid 1.4 points in Week 17), so he can clearly still be somewhat helpful when he's not scoring.

One thing that I did notice about Gore, though, when looking at his 2013 numbers, is that he had the fewest receptions and targets that he's ever had as a starter. So you're definitely correct about his value in the passing game vanishing.

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The writing's on the wall at this point - he'd still be a solid flex. I'm sure SF would love to have Lattimore take the torch but they also have Hunter and James there - these guys collectively are only going to vulture more snaps next year. In spite of a solid 276 carries this year (surprisingly up from 258 in '12) he had his lowest ypc (4.1) of his career, which matches perception imo.

The one thing in his favor is the uncertainty around all of his secondary options; Hunter and James are small-ish and of course Lattimore is an injury trainwreck.

If he could have another year like this one - useful but not a difference maker - he's still going to be a meaningful contributor, but I believe that is his ceiling. I'm curious as to whether SF stands pat at RB - if Lattimore can't make it back I'd think they try to upgrade vs Hunter/James. They need another back with power. Lattimore could be the answer there but he seems like a lotto ticket more than a dependable option.

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I will stay away from Gore as my No. 2 RB, where I think his draft stock will be. The risk and reward simply isn't there for an aging RB, Steven Jackson. You need to be very careful when picking an aging star. You just don't want to be the last one holding it.

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I will stay away from Gore as my No. 2 RB, where I think his draft stock will be. The risk and reward simply isn't there for an aging RB, Steven Jackson. You need to be very careful when picking an aging star. You just don't want to be the last one holding it.

Exactly. I'll be the first one to admit I missed out on a quality RB in Gore when avoiding him last year, but another year older and my concerns only grow more.

It is what it is, I admire the fact that he proved me wrong last year, but that won't reverse his age, so I can't target the guy. Now Kendall Hunter for a flier?? May be.

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It's finally starting to happen, games 10-19 he broke 100 yards once and averaged only 3.65 YPC. The guy still leaves it on the field but he'll be 31 going into next season. The Niners will certainly try to work Hunter/Lattimore in the picture as they prepare for life without Gore one day.

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Not as bad as David Wilson. I'm still trying to figure out what people saw there.

Amen. I'm proud to say that I never for a second entertained the idea that Wilson might be a successful starting RB.

As far as Gore, the crux of his value for 2014 is simply the health of Marcus Lattimore.

I agree with this. As tough as it is for me as a Niners fan (and I'm sure the coaching staff/ownership shares the sentiment), the guy can't keep up his play forever, especially in a division as physically grinding as the NFC West. If Lattimore can stay healthy, he will be their RB of the future and get his opportunities sooner than later.

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It's finally starting to happen, games 10-19 he broke 100 yards once and averaged only 3.65 YPC. The guy still leaves it on the field but he'll be 31 going into next season. The Niners will certainly try to work Hunter/Lattimore in the picture as they prepare for life without Gore one day.

That isn't a meaningful statistic, and using it to substantiate the argument that he is 'slowing down' doesn't make a lot of sense. As somebody that watched a bunch of these games, i have a more reasonable explanation:

The effectiveness of the run game was the reason behind the 49ers' early season success. How many times did Kaepernick go over 200 yards in the first 8 weeks? I don't know the number off hand but i'd bet its 3 or less. The second half of the season saw defenses adjust to take away the running game, and with Kaepernick having a few bad passing games in between; coaches were willing to test his inexperienced arm instead of trying to stop the run. Gore's numbers suffered a bit as a result of that, but Kaep obviously went on to have some decent production to finish off the season. That's just how the season plays out, with players having ups and downs as defenses change their approach when facing an opponent.

For what it's worth, Gore still had some terrific games in the 2nd half of the season; performances that would suggest (to me) that he has still got it. The two games against Carolina (regular season and in the playoff game) and the game against Seattle at Candlestick were his best games of the year; he looked really good against two of the best defenses in the league. If he can put up 5 yards a carry against those defensive fronts, i would say there is not much to worry about.

As for Hunter and James, the only time i have seen those guys involved is when the 9ers have the game in the bag. Garbage time backs that would occasionally spell Gore but seem little more than back-ups at this point. I like Hunter and have him in a dynasty league, but its more out of hope than anything else...he remains one of the best handcuffs in the game but nothing more than that. Neither of those backs have the same understanding with their OL that Gore does.

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30 year old running backs are not exciting, but I still feel that he is a very solid pick this year. He is in an offense that wants to run the ball and the SF O-line is phenomenal. The best part is that just like last year, he'll come cheaper than most of the leagues lead RBs.

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It's finally starting to happen, games 10-19 he broke 100 yards once and averaged only 3.65 YPC. The guy still leaves it on the field but he'll be 31 going into next season. The Niners will certainly try to work Hunter/Lattimore in the picture as they prepare for life without Gore one day.

That isn't a meaningful statistic, and using it to substantiate the argument that he is 'slowing down' doesn't make a lot of sense. As somebody that watched a bunch of these games, i have a more reasonable explanation:

The effectiveness of the run game was the reason behind the 49ers' early season success. How many times did Kaepernick go over 200 yards in the first 8 weeks? I don't know the number off hand but i'd bet its 3 or less. The second half of the season saw defenses adjust to take away the running game, and with Kaepernick having a few bad passing games in between; coaches were willing to test his inexperienced arm instead of trying to stop the run. Gore's numbers suffered a bit as a result of that, but Kaep obviously went on to have some decent production to finish off the season. That's just how the season plays out, with players having ups and downs as defenses change their approach when facing an opponent.

For what it's worth, Gore still had some terrific games in the 2nd half of the season; performances that would suggest (to me) that he has still got it. The two games against Carolina (regular season and in the playoff game) and the game against Seattle at Candlestick were his best games of the year; he looked really good against two of the best defenses in the league. If he can put up 5 yards a carry against those defensive fronts, i would say there is not much to worry about.

As for Hunter and James, the only time i have seen those guys involved is when the 9ers have the game in the bag. Garbage time backs that would occasionally spell Gore but seem little more than back-ups at this point. I like Hunter and have him in a dynasty league, but its more out of hope than anything else...he remains one of the best handcuffs in the game but nothing more than that. Neither of those backs have the same understanding with their OL that Gore does.

I wouldn't be worried about Hunter or James. I'd be more worried about Lattimore. I understand where you're coming from though as he could easily come at a flex or #2 price. If I wait on running backs then seeing him as a #2 wouldn't be a bad price tag at all.

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30 year old running backs are not exciting, but I still feel that he is a very solid pick this year. He is in an offense that wants to run the ball and the SF O-line is phenomenal. The best part is that just like last year, he'll come cheaper than most of the leagues lead RBs.

You may be right in that Gore has at least 1 more very good year left in him. However, you could start to see the decline last season, especially later in the year. Also, he arguably has his stiffest competition for carries in his SF career in both Lattimore and a fully recovered KHunter. His ADP will be its lowest since his 2006 break-out season but there are still RB going a little later that I'd rather have (RJennings, Gerhart, JBell, & Vereen to name a few) plus I like the WR in Gore's ADP range much more than him as well (AJohnson, Crabtree, Welker, Fitz, Cruz).